Article handling means



G. E. RoE BMM ARTICLE HANDLING MEANS Original Filed Jan. 18, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 46 lwfea;

6780?' ejiove W'egs; 5y mmf-ff 2, w38. Gl. E Rowe 2,1329? l@ ARTICLE HANDLING MEANS l original Filed Jan. 18, 1935 2 shee'tsPs-ht 2' Ace Patented Mar. 22, 1938 v PATENT 2,112,119 ARTICLE HANDLING MEANS George E. Rowe,

Wethersfield, Conn., assignor to y Hartford-Empire Company, Hartford, Conn., a

corporation of Delaware Original This application is a division of my copending application for Letters Patent, filed January 18, 1935,I Serial No. 2,415, 'and is iiled for the purpose of claiming the novel improvements in Article handling means of tion separately from improvements in means for and methods of separating mcils and manufactured articles of glassware as also disclosed and as claimed in my aforesaid original application.

This invention relates to means which have haveparticular utility ln conjunction 4with the manufacture of glassware by the so-called paste mold process. It is especially applicable to `apparatus for use in the manufacture of paste-mold glass articles, such Afor example as tumblers, wherein means are provided for separating or cracking on the desired glass article from the moll or rim which is formed integral therewith and which is later separated therefrom and discarded, this 'separating operation taking' place before the moll has been released from the unit of the forming machine in which the glass article was formed. 'I'he present the foregoingV in combination with means by which glass articles such a manner that the sharp edge produced by the cracking off operation. if such be used, will be lire-finished as a part of a substantially continuous operation, thus eliminating many of the dilculties which have arisen in the practice of prior methods.

Among the objects of the presentinvention are to provide article handling means, comprising cooperating tong members and automatic means for operating such tong members in such manner .that the members `may be simultaneously or dinerentially operated in their opening and closing movements for achieving particular results.

For example,it sometimes happens that tong members usablefor removing glass articles from a rotary type machine, particularly one which is continuously rotated, must be operated in a `particular manner so as to clear certain parts of the forming machine, and for this purposeit may be desirable lto .move the Vtong members toward -their closed position differentially, that is, to

'i move one tong member part or all the way toward its closed position in advance-orali or a part of the movement of another or the other cooperating tong member.

This dierential movementmay also Vbe. useful ""in' eilectinga simultaneous'-opening and closing o! cooperating tong members in such manner that the opening may be accomplished in two 0r mille the disclosure of that applicaarticle handlingl general utility and which alsov -invention further includes may be suitably handled in application November (Cl. 2id-l) stages while the closing may be eiected by a single operation or in two or more stages. SuchA an operation may have particular utility, for example, in the placing of glass articles so closely adjacent to each other that if the tong members were opened completely in releasing a glass article held therein, there would be danger of the opening movement of these members causing them to contact with and possibly knock over adjacent glass articles.

A further advantage of thepre'sent invention is i in grasping and/or releasing glass articles in transferring such articlesfrom one point to another in such manner that the articles may beV steadied both in the grasping and releasing thereo1' and prevented from toppling over, as vfor example, in placing articles on a continuously moving conveyor. The present invention provides means by which tongm bers may be operated individually and difiere tially or simultaneously in order to achieve any ci the above mentioned results.

j In the manufacture lof paste mold articles wherein my invention has peculiar utility, it has been the practice in the past to carry on one or the othe'i of two processes, first, the glass articles with the moil which is formed integrally therewith and whichmust thereafter be sepa- -rated have been transferred to the lehr subsequent totheir discharge from the forming machine; and then after annealing'the articles have been scored and cracked oil and the sharp edge thereafter ire nished. Second, the articles have been first released from the forming machine and thereafter separated from the mailand v,simultaneously nre iinished by the use of an oxygen-flame and subsequently annealed.

' My present invention comprises article handling means usable in a process employing a completely automatic cracking off operation.

A further and more speciic object of the present invention is to provide means for steadying and receiving the articles as they are cracked ofi' and for conveying them directly to and through a fire ilnishing chamber or oven from whence they may be .conveyed automatically invention when taken in conjunction with the ac- 4 type forming machine ind a nre finishing cham- 55' ber or oven, the forming machine and re inishing chamber or oven being merely shown diagrammatically;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in plan showing one of the heads of my device and particularly showing the construction and operating means for the scoring cutter and the tongs; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in plan, and similar to Fig. 3, showing the functional relations of the scoring cutter and tongs in cracking o a'glass article, the moil of which is still retained in the grasping means of the forming machine.

While I contemplate that my device may be used in conjunction with many different types of paste mold machines, for example, either straight line or rotary type and either intermittent or continuous machines, I have chosen to illustrate the invention as associ-ated with a continuous rotary type of paste mold machine which is known in the art as the Hartford 23 Machine." 'This machine was shown and described in detail in my prior Patent 1,979,211, granted October 30, 1934. The machine has a plurality of forming units thereon, three of which are indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at I, the center unit of Fig. 1 being illustrated in some detail. f

It will be understood that these units are suitably supported upon a continuously rotated turret or carrier and are provided with all the necessary forming means completely to form an article of the paste mold type, for example, a tumbler. As shown, particularly in Fig. 1, each of the forming units comprises a pair oi gripping jaws 2 which are normally spring-pressed together by springs 3 and which engage the moil 4 of a glass article. The forming means which, however.' form no part of the present invention include a combined press and blow head 5 and a final blow mold E, the latter being formed in complementary halves in the usual manner. It Will be understood that suitable means are provided for operating these forming means as set forth in detail in my prior patent above referred to.

The jaws or grippers 2 are mounted in a neck ring carrier 1 (Figs. 1 and 2), which is provided on its periphery with suitable spiral gear teeth l meshing with a spiral gear 9 carried by the shaft I0 and arranged for rotation at the desired times by means included in the forming machine as set forth in my prior patent.

Thus, at the time the forming unit carrying a completed glass article comes into the zone adjacent to the device of my present invention, the article is still grasped by the grasping means 2 of the forming-machine and may, if desired, be rotated.

Adiacent to the forming machine is mounted a suitable base II which may be and preferably is secured to the base (not shown) of the forming machine proper. The base II carries a stationary column I2 stepped therein as illustrated in Fig. 2. Supported on the base I I. and arranged for rotative movement aroundthe column I2 is a rotatablesupport Ill-by which the various heads, each including a glass severing means, here shown .as a scoring tool, and tong members hereinafter to be described are carried.

Means are provided for rotating the suDPOrt Il, such means. comprising an annular beveled ring gear I4 carried by the support I3 and meshing with a pinion I5, which is carried by the inner end of a shaft I6 journaled in bearings I1 on the baseA II. The opposite end of the shaft I6 carries a.'

beveled pinion I8 which may be driven from any suitable source of power, preferably the same as the power drive for the forming machine. In a preferred embodiment of my invention, the bevel gear E8 is driven directly or through suitable gearing from the forming machine.

At the upper end of the rotatable structure I3 is a table-like member I9 by which the several crack o units are directly carried. Each of the crack oi and tong units comprises a supporting structure which may be suitably secured to the table I9 as by bolts 2l (Fig. 2).

There is provided a scoring tool generally indicated at 22, which may be provided with a suitable hard scoring edge of any desired material. The tool 22 is mounted by a'vertical pivot or pintle 23 on the outer end of a sliding arm 24 which is substantially radially slidable in a guideway portion of the structure 20.

Means are provided for resiliently urging the arm 2li radiallyoutwardly of the supporting structure I3, such means comprising a tension spring 25 extending between a fixed anchorage 26 on the structure 20 and a pin 21 carried by the arm 24. For moving the scoring tool 22 radially inwardly against the tension oi the spring 25, there is provided a bell crank 28 pivoted intermediate its ends on a vertical pintle 29 rigid with or carried by the structure 20 and having one of its arms bifurcated as at I0 to embrace the pin 2'I. The other arm oi the bell crank 28 carries a cam roller 3| for cooperationwithastationary cambest shown at 32 (Figc. 4), which is rigidly but adjustably secured to a stationary cam drum 33 (Figs. 1 and 2) the latter in turn being carried by the stationary column I2 as best shown in Fig. 2.

Thus, when it is desired to move the scoring tool 22 out of contact with the glass, the roller 3i is caused to ride up on to a high portion of the cam 32. When it is desired to cause the scoring tool to engage and score a glass article, the cam 32' is relieved to permit the spring 25 to move the scoring tool 22 into engagement with the glass. v

The mounting of the scoring tool 22 as hereinabove described enables this tool substantially to follow a glass article through a. material zone of angular travel of the forming machine and the rotary support I3, so that the scoring tool may engage and score a glass article from a point substantially as shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to a point at or slightly over the line of centers oi' the forming machine andthe rotary support I3, possibly up to the position shown in dotted lines in F18. 4. c

Associated with each o! the scoring tools 22 on the rotaryzarrier isA a pair of cooperating tong members indicated at 34, and 35. These members may in a broad sense be used for grasping bottles or other articles, but also have general utility apart from their particular usefulness hereinafter to be specifically described.

- 'I'he tong members 34 and Il are provided with suitable shaped grasping, or in the present particular embodiment o! the invention, guiding portions illustrated at 36 which lare preferably interchangeable and made generally izo/conform to the configuration of the particular articles to be handled.

. '111e tong members Il and 35 are mounted on spaced vertical pivotal axes or fpintles; here shown atk 31, for the tong members '34 and 29 :or the tong manner ss. me prunes 31] and 2s bel secured either in the housing member 42li vor directly to the horizontal ilange portion vof the table t9 Aas'may be desired'. y

1 at their ends with cam rollers jtively. These cam rollers respectively cooperate with stationary but preferably adjustable cams tongs about the drum.

is a compression spring 42, the arrangement being such that the rocker lever 49-may have a. certain carried by the periphery of the drum 33 the cams being suitably shaped to perform the desired operations as will be hereinafter set forth and preferably being adjustable around the periphery ofthe cam drum 33'in order to cause the several operations to be performed at the desired zones the'path of travel of the stationary cam Pivotally mounted coaxially with the tong member 35 on thepintle 29 and free' to move in respect thereto is a rocker lever 49, which is normallyheld in a iix'ed position in respect to the tong member 35 by resilient means including a `stud 4I rigidly carried by the rocker lever 40 and extending loosely through an aperture i'n a web. `of the tong member 35.

Extending betweenv this web and a suitable stop washer on the stud 4l limitedmovement clockwise in respect to the tong member 35 against the compression of the spring 42 from its normal position, but the normalrelative position of these parts will be restored as soon as such action is permitted, due to the expansion of the spring 42, which will cause one end of the rocker lever 40 to lie against the depending web of the tong member 35. i f

The other arm of the rocker lever 49 is an ranged to be engaged by a spring pressed plunger 43 as best seen in Fig. 2, this plungerbeing mounted in a suitable bore in the housing mem# ber 20 and being spring pressed radially inwardly of the rotary carrier I3 by a compression -spring 44 las illustrated in Fig.j2. Excessive movement of the plunger 43 inwardly under the influence of the spring 44 is prevented by providing the plunger with .a stem `45 extending coaxlally through the spring and through the head against which the spring abuts and having on its outer end a suitablev stop secured thereto. compression ofthe spring 44 acting through the plunger 43 and rocker lever 40 will be eective .to exert force tending to move the tong member 35 toward its closed position and tending to move j the cam roller 39 away from its associated cam.

The arm of the tong member'34 which carries' the cam roller 38 is provided with an abutment 46 bearing against the outer end ofthe rocker lever 40 opposite that portion thereof which contacts with the plunger 43,- so that the force ofthe spring d4 acting through the plunger 43 and the end of rocker lever 49 will be eil'ective against the abutment 46 to tend to move the tong memberv 34 clockwise as seen ingFlg. 3, thus tendingto close this tong member. 'This action, however, tends to urge the cam roller 38- toward its associated cam. v

The effect therefore of the operationl of the plunger 43 under the inuence of the spring 441s to tend to urge the tong members 34 and 35 toward their closed position. The rate at which these tongs may close depends on the conilguration of the cam associated with cam roller 39.

- which in turn is'carried by the tong member 34 (assuming for the moment'that the rocker lever 40 and the tong member 35 have no relative movement). Thus. asthe cam associated with Thus the the tong member 34 is adjustably predetermined by a suitable set screw 41 threaded through a portion of the arm of this tong member and bearing against a suitable abutment. which maybe part ofthe housing member 20. This set screw may be secured in adjusted position by the usual jam nut as illustrated.

When it is desired toopen -the tongs simultaneously, the cam roller 38 maybe caused to ride up on to a high point ofA its associated cam, which will serve to open the tong member 34 positively and will act through the abutment 46, the rocker lever 40 and the compression spring 42 resiliently to open the tong member 35, subject of course to there being a suitable relief of the cam with which the cam roller 39 is associated to permit such movement (it being still assumed that there is no relative movement between the rocker lever 49 and tong member 35). x

When, for example, it may be desired to accomplish a differential movement of the tong members, this `may be accomplished by providing cams cooperating with cam rollers 38 and 39 having suitable configurations. For instance, if the cam roller 3B is traveling along a portion of its cooperating cam which is of even height, so that no closing movement of tong member 34 is permitted, and it is desired to provide a closing movement for the tong member 35, the cam roller 39 is caused to ride onto a high point ofA its associated cam. Due to the fact'that cam roller 38 and its associated tong member having no movement relative to the support i3, the rocker lever 49, likewise has no movement about the pintle 29.v

function may be` employed in the device particularly illustrated herein to cause the tong member l 35 to move forwardly by a relatively quick movement to impact the glass subsequent to the com- A' pletion of the scoringthereof and crack off the desired glass article from the moll, the tong member 34 being held in a fixed position during such movement merely for guiding the glass article after it has been cracked off. j

On the other hand, assuming that the tong members are both in their fully closed position and it is desired to open them dierentially, this may be accomplished by causing the cam roller 39 tof ride, along aconstant high, section of its associated'cam and causing the cam roller 39 to ride up onto a high portion of its associated cam. Under these circumstances, the tong member 35 cannot be opened due to'the constant level y portion of the cam opposite the cam roller 39.

The tong member 34 may be positively opened by 1 the cam roller 39 riding up an incline of its associated cam. 'I'hisoperation will also cause Also, due tothe clockwise movement of the rocker lever 4U about the pintle 29, and the fact that im the tong member is stationary, the compression spring 42 will be compressed, which will tend circumstances, it may be desirable to move 'the' leading tong member 34 away from the article in advance of the movement of the following tong member 35 away from such article, thus permitting the article to move olf in its tangent path while steadying it by the following tong member.

With the device arranged as shown in the accompanying drawings the leading tong member may be opened in advance of the following tong member or simultaneously therewith, and the following tong member maybe closed in advance of the leading tong member or simultaneously therewith, both subject to the configuration of their respectively associated cams.

Means are preferably provided according to my invention for receiving the glass articles after they have been cracked off or otherwise separated from their moils and for conveying them away from the vicinity and directly to and through a suitable fire finishing chamber or oven which is used in connection with the cracking off process illustrated.

As shown in Fig. 1, the fire nishing chamber or oven is diagrammatically illustrated at 48 and the conveying means includes a flexible endless sprocket chain 49 which is trained around a suitable sprocket 50 carried by the rotary carrier I3, as best illustrated in the flexible carrier or sprocket chain 49 at spaced intervals'therealong are a. series of brackets 5I, each of which is arranged to carry a bottom plate 52a in a manner hereinafter to be more specifically described.

The brackets 5I are further supported in their travel around the rotary support i3 by a supporting member 52 rigid with 'such support and having upstanding flange portions 53 upon which the brackets 5I ride. In their movement away from and toward` the rotary support I3, the brackets 5I are arranged to slide upon guide rails 54 and 55 (Fig. l).

The bottom plates 52a are each provided with a cylindrical stem 56 arranged to pass through a cylindrical hole in a depending portion of the bracket 5I as best illustrated in Fig. 2. The bottom plates are thus vertically slidable and rotatable in their supporting brackets.

Means are provided for retaining the bottom plates 52u. in their upper positions which it is desired that they occupy during the time the glass articles are received thereon, such means being individual vto ea'ch plate and including a latch 51 pivoted to the bracket 5| at 58 and spring pressed toward its operative position by a spring 59.

When it is desired that the bottom plates be lowered so as to lower the articles carried thereby to such a point that the top edge thereof is below the level of the tong members 34 and 35, the stem at the lower end of the latch 5'I is moved radially outwardly of the support I3 by a cam shown at SII in Fig. 1 and the associated bottom plate 52a is then lowered gradually to its lowermost position by a rounded stud at the lower end of here illustrated, and the of the forming machine- Figs. 1 and 2. Secured to the stem 56 thereof sliding down an inclined cam surface 6I. The cams 6u and 6I may be suitably secured to a bracket 62 extending up. wardly from the base Il of the rotary carrier or support I3. Lifting movement of the bottom plates to their uppermost position may be accom` plished by the provision of a stationary cam 53' chamber or oven, it is desired that they be rotated to rotate the articles. This action is accomplished by providing gear teeth 64 on the periphery of the bottom plates 52a which are adapted to mesh with a stationary rack bar 65 as best shown in Fig. l.

The supporting and guiding of the remainder of the flexible carrier 43 through and at the other side of the fire finishing chamber or oven 48 is not illustrated in thev accompanying drawings as this mechanism may be entirely conventional. It is contemplated that the drive for the flexible carrier be throughv the sprocket 50, from the rotary support I3 and the drive thereof, as above set forth.

From the above, it will be seen that I have provided a tong mechanism of general utility in article handling, specifically wherein cooperating tong'members are made responsive to in'- dividual control providing for differential movement between opening and/closing, and for relative differential movements as between each other, and that these functions or some .of them have peculiar and individual utility in certain instances.

Turning now to a particular desirable cycle of operation and referring to the specific embodiment of the invention here illustrated, the article as formed in the forming machine and with the moil thereof still gripped by the gripping means 2 and rotation still being continued, arrives at substantially the point shown in full lines in Fig. 4, the machine being .rotated in a clockwise direction. The rst operation is the engagement of the re-entrant formed cutting or scoring tool 22 with the glass, which may continue from the full line position shown in Fig. 4 substantially to the dotted line position in that figure. During this period, the tongs 34-35 are in partially or mostly closed position, but still somelittle distance away from the glass. At aboutthe point shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the following tongmember 35 may be given a quick forward movement to impact the glass of the desired article and crack it off from the moil at the score line which has been made. Rotation may cease at about this point and the scoring tool 22 may be withdrawn at or just prior to .the point at lwhich the crack off takes place. Both tongs are now substantially closed about the article but not in positive gripping relation thereto and thus guide the article after the crack off down onto the bottom plat/e 52a, which is just slightly below the level of the bottom of the article before that article has/been cracked off, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Subsequent to the crack off, and after the article is supported on the bottom plate. the tongs still prevent overturning of the article and move with it up to the point where the bottom plate is lowered by cam 60 tripping the latch 51 and cam 6I permitting the controlled lowering ating leading and following tong members both of the "bottom plate. vThe article is now comvin Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

The bottom plate with the article thereon novv moves into the fire finishing chamber or oven 48 and shortly prior toor about the time it enters -this chamber the gear teeth 64 on the bottom plate come into engagement with the stationary rack 65 to rotate the article during its travel through the fire finishing chamber or oven. Fire finishing of the article is accomplished within this chamber or oven, after which the article is moved to a vpoint where it p may be placed` either manually or automatically upon a lehr conveyor for the usual annealing, lli? such annealing is desired or necessary.

. The bottom plates 'are again elevated in their 4path at about the time they come again into registry with one of the pairs of tong members, and under the action of the cam 63, Whichmoves them up to the point Where the latcnmember 51 mayvsnap beneath the rim at the under end of the stem 56 under the influence ofthe spring 59 for repeating the process. y

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my inventionpit may be understood' that many changes may be made therein and certain of the instrumentalities and the method may and do have independent utility. I do not Wish to be llmitedtherefore except by the scope of the appended claims, which are to be construed as broadly as the state of the` prior art permits.

I claim:

1. Article handling means including two consecutively used transferring means, the rst of said transferring means comprising a movable support, means for moving said support, coopermovably mounted on said support, means constructed and arranged for operating said tong members in such manner that they may be closed simultaneously for engaging an article and opened differentially in releasing an article to the second of said transferring means byrst moving the leading tong member toward its open position, permitting the article released thereby toV be carried away by the second of said` transferring means while the following tong member steadies the article.

2. Article handling means, comprising a support rotatable about a vertical axis, a vplurality o-f pairs of cooperating tong members mounted on said rotary support, operating means for said 4tong members including a stationary cam for each of the cooperating tong members of each pair, and operating means for each pair of tong members cooperating "with said cams and so .constructed and arranged as to -provide for differentially opening and closing of the tong members of each pair subject to the configuration of saidv 3. Articlev handling mechanism, comprising a support rotatable about a vertical axis, a pair of cooperatingtong members pivotally mounted on said supportvon parallel vertical axes, a stationary cam for each tong of said pair of cooperating tong members as to which said support is rotatable, cam rollers mounted on said cooperating tong members for cooperation respectively with said cams, a rocker lever plvotally mounted on said support coaxially with one of said tong members and normally resiliently held in 'a predetermined position in respect to its coaxially mounted tong member and cooperable with the other of said tong members, a spring pressed plunger carried by said support and arranged to engage an arm of said rocker lever, and means for imparting rotative movement to saidvsupport.

. GEORGE E. ROWE. 

